2022 Dynasty/Fantasy Preseason Week 2 Game Report: 49ers 17, Vikings 7
The Vikes and Niners both came at each other with all the backups and almost no starters on either side of the ball. It was a rough game to watch because both these teams’ backup QBs are not great, especially the Vikings -- it was so bad for Minnesota, a few days after the game they traded for Nick Mullens from Las Vegas. Yikes.
Hard to judge the Minnesota receivers working with Mond-Mannion or judging the 49ers defense going against that great duo. So, most of my notes are non-receiver here.
Dynasty/Fantasy Player Notes…
-- The 49ers backfield report…
Short version: Elijah Mitchell is in a really good place, because all his young competitors on the depth chart are not very good.
Longer version:
Trey Sermon (5-8-0, 1-4-0/2) is doing his best to get released from this team, he looked very sluggish/ineffective…and then if he is released, someone should bar Kyle Shanahan from ever taking a running back in the top 100 or so picks ever again. Shanahan is a great coach, but he is missing it by miles on his higher picked RBs. Joe Williams, Trey Sermon are turning out to be embarrassing picks.
So too is Tyrion-Davis-Price (10-41-0. 1-6-0/1) another flailing away higher draft pick RB by Shanny.
Then, UDFA Jordan Mason (9-57-0) costs them no draft pick and is a better power runner between the tackles than Sermon or TDP.
Mitchell with Jeff Wilson in support will be the #1-2 punch to start the season. Sermon-TDP will likely make the team ‘because’. Jordan Mason will get cut and tried to be stashed on the practice squad. JaMycal Hasty runs with more passion than the other backups, but he’ll prob ably get cut for being a UDFA too. Sometimes, the NFL is not fair. A lot of the times…
-- A more talented RB cluster for the Vikings…
Alexander Mattison (3-17-0) is the boring #2/handcuff to Dalvin Cook that I still think has a chance to be cut/moved before 53-man day.
Kene Nwangwu (2-40, 2-8-0/3) took over for Mattison…Kene is the talented, ultra-speedy, game breaking RB who never shows those attributes on offense -- just on kick returns.
Ty Chandler (5-19-1, 1-3-0/1) came in after Nwangwu and was fine/solid/bland.
UDFA Bryant Koback (3-17-0, 1-9-0/2) came in as the #4 RB of the night and looked better than all the rest…but it was late into the game against the dregs of a defense. He’ll likely be cut and then tried to be signed to the practice squad…and that should happen with no interference from any other team.
-- Vikings backup TE Zach Davidson (1-6-0/4) keeps catching attention…he moves well for a 6’7” guy, but he’s having a hard time showing off having to work with Mond-Mannion. If Irv Smith goes down, Davidson may enter the FF 2022 equation in some way.
-- A couple of IDP notes…
Vikings DE Patrick Jones (3 tackles, 0.5 sacks) really looks promising. The guy is a conundrum -- unimpressive Combine/Pro Day numbers but 17.5 sacks, 24.0 TFLs his final two seasons at Pitt (22 games). The #90 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He’s great depth for the MIN D-Line.
I’m not sure what got into NFL journeyman, 2015 UDFA DT T.Y. McGill (5 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1.0 TFLs), but he has 3.5 sacks in the first two preseason games…and there were a couple times I focused on him in this game, and he could not be blocked. He had 3.0 sacks as a rookie in 2015…and 2.5 sacks total in the last 6 years.
-- The IDP notes lead into my last note…
Minnesota ran their 2nd-team defense and lower in this game -- and all the units looked damn good. From the perspective of talent + flying around to the ball, they looked promising -- and they have depth/talent.
No defense has as much major upgrade year-over-year as the Vikings, including the return of Danielle Hunter. They upgraded at head coach and D-C Ed Donatell taking over. They are strong on the 1st-team, and seemingly deep. They have a pretty decent schedule once they get past Weeks 1 (GB) and 2 (PHI). I have a feeling some of us will be jumping on this train for FF 2022 streaming as we go.
